Who started the birther movement?

[proud2BlibKansan]

I've been reading an argument on a local blog between two wingnuts. Don't ask me why it's important. But it's always humorous to watch them argue over stupid crap. One of them claims it was Alan Keyes and the other says it was someone in the Hillary campaign. I've done a bit of Googling but can't find anything.

Anyone know where it all started?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. There were a couple crazy lawyers even before Orly. Can't remember names right now.

[Mz Pip]

3. The name Berg

rings a bell. Sore losers with an agenda keep this going.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. He was my first thought too

But it looks like Keyes brought it up before Berg.

[Mz Pip]

2. It wasn't Hillary

It would have been much more mainstream if it were.

This wasn't originated in the Hillary campaign. Alan Keyes is a likely suspect. Oily kept it alive. The internets and all the anonymous loons kept it alive. The sore losers glombed on to it and are keeping it alive.

This is one of those conspiracies that sort of bubbles up after the fact. Now that Obama is President, those who just outright hate him for whatever reasons they have are the ones who are perpetuating this nonsense. Sore losers.

This will go one forever, just like who really killed Kennedy, who really hit the WTC on 9/11. It's taken on a life of its own.

[Rex]

4. Karl Rove.

If they blame Hillary, it is KKKarl.

[customerserviceguy]

6. I did quite a bit of lurking over at freeperland

during the 2008 election, and before. As I recall, the BC thing came up way before Obama won Iowa, and was an issue with the reich wing from the get-go.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. He beat Keyes in 2004

So it would make sense that Keyes started it.

[salvorhardin]

8. Sadly it was the PUMAs

Investigations for my new book, Wingnuts, revealed that the Birther conspiracy theory was first concocted by renegade members of the original Obama haters, Party Unity My Ass, known more commonly by their acronym, the PUMAs. They were a splinter group of hard-core Hillary Clinton supporters who did not want to give up the ghost after the bitter 50-state Bataan Death March to the 2008 Democratic nomination.

In the early summer of '08, message boards on sites like PUMAParty.com began lighting up with the ultimate reversal-of-fortune fantasy—that their party's nomination could be overturned on constitutional grounds. "Obama May Be Illegal to Be Elected President!" read one representative e-mail: "This came from a USNA alumnus. It'll be interesting to see how the media handle this...WRITE TO YOUR LOCAL newspaper editors etc. Keep this out there everyday possible. Also write to the DNC too!"
Source: http://smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/profiles/blogs/who-started-the-birther
Original Source (link no longer working): http://pumaparty.com/vb/puma-talking-points-media-relations/18349-write-your-local-areas-newspapers-ask-if-obama-legal.html

But you've got to remember that right wing crazies were already pushing various Obama conspiracy theories such as the "Obama is a Muslim" CT going all the way back to his 2004 Democratic convention speech.

The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama
By JIM RUTENBERG
Published: October 12, 2008

The most persistent falsehood about Senator Barack Obama’s background first hit in 2004 just two weeks after the Democratic convention speech that helped set him on the path to his presidential candidacy: “Obama is a Muslim who has concealed his religion.”

That statement, contained in a press release, spun a complex tale about the ancestry of Mr. Obama, who is Christian.

The press release was picked up by a conservative Web site, FreeRepublic.com, and spread steadily as others elaborated on its claims over the years in e-mail messages, Web sites and books. It continues to drive other false rumors about Mr. Obama’s background.
More: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html

[classysassy]

9. Orly was involved

[SwampG8r]

10. it was me i admit it

i swear it was a joke and i didnt think anyone would run with it



seemed funny at the time tho

[cliffordu]

11. i remember that joke!!!

LMAO!!!!

Too bad ORLY had to overhear it and ran with it.

Never give law degrees to meth addicts.

[SwampG8r]

12. thats right!you WERE there

in fact i think you might have been the one going on about indonesia and kenya

i hate when this happens
sigh...
its the cuban missle crisis all over again
when will i learn to be quiet?

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. LOL

:spank: